LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS & MARK DRISCOLL (PART 1):

INTRODUCTION

 

Mark Driscoll, a name that stirs up many emotions.  To some, he is the devil incarnate, and to others, an excellent Bible teacher speaking to today’s rapidly changing culture.

 

Mark is the leading pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington.  Along with his pastoral duties he is involved with the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, The Resurgence (a web site with vast theological materials), an author and speaker.

 

I became aware of Mark over a year ago in doing research on the “Emergent Church”.  I read his books and listened to/watched his sermons.  I did not find anything other than a great teacher and communicator. 

 

Were there some ways in which he communicated that could have been communicated more tactfully?  Yes.  But it was his passion for the Gospel, his passion for Jesus and his passion for his flock that far outweighed his mode of communication.  I found a redeemed sinner just like me, being progressively sanctified by the Holy Spirit, striving to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), and, awaiting the day of Glorification when we, as believers, will be made perfect as our Savior is perfect (Romans 8:29-30, Hebrews 10:12-14).  [As a side note, his Ultimate Fighting references earned him extra brownie points.]

 

You may be asking why I have written this lead-in?  I will answer that I am not a member of Mars Hill and I am not a Driscoll groupie.  Theologically we differ in some areas (such as Eschatology), but we are united in Christ in all of the essentials of the Christian Faith (Sovereignty of God, Triunity of God, Exclusivity of Christ, Inerrancy of Scripture, etc…).  I firmly believe that in essentials there must be unity, in non-essentials liberty and in all things charity.

 

As one who studies Apologetics I regularly read various websites to see what others are saying.  One such website is Lighthouse Trails.  Though I gleam some worthwhile information from there, I also find it necessary to run much of it through my own discernment radar. 

 

I have recently had a chance to sit down and thoroughly read through some of their articles on Mark Driscoll and I feel that some exposition is necessary on what they have written.  The first part will be in reference to a short critique they have done on his most recent book “Vintage Jesus” (a wonderful book on Christology) and the second on some random comments made about him.

 

I have written this so as to carefully take a look at some of the accusations and insinuations made against him.  I believe that as an Apologist one must be careful, discerning and responsible.  There are many in the Body who visit these sites and form their opinions based on what they read, placing their trust in what has been written.

 

I believe that we are not only to contend for the faith (Jude 3) but also defend one another when statements or accusations are made inaccurately.

 

I believe this is not something we should do.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to grant us discernment and wisdom directly, not merely putting our trust in the thoughts of others.  I ask that you seek discernment in what I write here.  I believe God grants these gifts to all who ask for and fervently seek them.

 

 

A Few Quotes From Mark Driscoll’s Vintage Jesus - Something to Think About

 

 

Point 1: Calls Christians Little Christs

 

On page 120 of “Vintage Jesus”, Driscoll writes the following:

 

“To be a Christian is to be a “little Christ.” In fact, the name Christian was originally a term of mockery given to us by our enemies. But Jesus said that to be a Christian is to pick up our cross and die. Die to sin, die to pride, die to comfort, die to anything and everything that fails to glorify God alone as the object of our affection and the source of our joy. With great insight, Walter Wink has said that killing Jesus was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it. At the cross, what was intended as eradication was used by God for multiplication, and we pray that you would always be loyal to Jesus, our hero, and his revolution.”

 

First we must ask, what does it mean to be a Christian?  To be a Christian is to be one set apart by God, having been regenerated from death to life by Jesus’ substitutionary atoning death on the cross.  Immediately upon ones rebirth he/she is immediately indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the process of Sanctification begins (1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:10).  The more we grow in our faith, the more Christ-like we become; the more we begin to “imitate” Him (Ephesians 5:1). 

 

To be an imitator of Jesus is to be a mirror image of Him.  The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines imitate as:

 

Imitate; Latin “imitatus”

(1)   To follow as a pattern, model, or example

(2)   To appear or appear like (resemble)

(3)   To produce a copy of (reproduce)

(4)   Mimic, counterfeit (example: can imitate his fathers booming voice)

 

As Christians, this is exactly what Scripture teaches.  We are to pattern and model ourselves after Jesus. We are to live as His examples here on earth.

 

Now to go a little further, the word Christian (from the Greek Kristianos) itself literally means “little Christ”, or “follower of Christ”.  Jesus most assuredly commanded His disciples to take up their crosses and follow in His steps (Matthew 16:24).  The apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesian Church also gave that admonishment (Ephesians 5:1-2).  We are to follow the patterns He set for us.

 

The commentary on Acts 11:26 from the Apologetics Study Bible (Holman Christian Standard Version) explains it this way: 

 

“The Antioch believers were first called “Christians” (little Christs), probably labeled by Romans as those sufficiently recognizable by beliefs and actions in keeping with the Leader.”

 

In C.S. Lewis’ book “Mere Christianity”, of the Church he states that it:

 

“…exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.  God became Man for no other purpose.”

 

Lewis also wrote similarly about the believer:

 

“We shall love the Father as Christ does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us.  He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has - by what I call ‘good infection’.  Every Christian is to become a little Christ.  The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”

 

Furthermore, C.S. Lewis makes it clear that Christians are to “act like little Christs”.  This should not be confused with “being little Christs”.  “To Be” is to act like, and should not be confused with “being”.

 

What I see they (Lighthouse Trails) have done is confuse this with the Word-Faith (and Mormon) heresy that believers are “little gods”, that God has made us in the same class of being that He is Himself and that the believer is called “Christ” because that is who “we” are.  We are not Christ, we are merely called to be imitators, a reflection of Him.

 

Now back to the matter at hand.  The great reformer Martin Luther wrote in “The Freedom of a Christian” (also called “The Treatise on Christian Liberty”):

 

“As our heavenly Father has in Christ freely come to our aid, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through our body and its works, and each one should become as it were a Christ to the other that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the same in all, that is, that we may be truly Christians…”

 

Here Luther rightly states that we ought to imitate Christ in such a way that we act according to the Spirit that resides in each of us as heirs with Christ.  We are to show compassion, to help those in need, to share the gospel and the truth of God’s love to all.  These are all characteristics that Jesus exemplified in His incarnation; we are called to be His examples here on earth.

 

The last example I wish to make is from a sermon from John MacArthur called “The Believer’s Privileges”, in which he teaches from 1 Peter 2:5:

 

 ”It is from the living stone that we receive our spiritual privileges.  Our first look into the kaleidoscope of spiritual privilege shows us the privilege of union with our Lord.  We are said to be ‘living stones’”.

 

“We become pictures of Christ.  Christians not only come to the living stone, but also become living stones themselves.  He who comes to Christ becomes like Christ.  That is why we are called Christians.  We are miniatures of Christ - little Christs.  It is our privilege to live in accordance with that honorable title.  And just as Christ is a living stone, we are being built up as living stones.  We have eternal life.”

 

As Christians we are conformed into the image of Christ.  It is Jesus who abides in us as we abide in Him, as those reborn of the Spirit, we are one with Jesus.  In being one with Him, we are to be a picture of Him, an exact replica in how we live as His followers.

 

As for LT’s note on Walter Wink, I do not see how this has any bearing on anything.  I hope it’s not some sort of speculation (and I won’t speculate on their intention either).  Though, to stamp out any doubt, Driscoll is a staunch defender of “Penal-Substitutionary Atonement”.  For part of his teaching on this, watch this video.

 

All Driscoll does here is point out Wink’s correctness in stating that what was meant to end Jesus’ revolution only caused it to spread.  Man’s efforts failed, God’s plan was fulfilled.

 

This is not pointed directly at LT’s, but I will state that it is troubling how many Christians tend to believe that if a pastor or author quotes another pastor or author that somehow he believes everything that pastor or author does.  I am very blessed by many in the Reformed traditions, though I disagree with them when it comes their views on Israel and the End Times. 

 

What I’m saying here is that quoting someone such as R.C. Sproul in no way means I hold to Covenant / Replacement Theology.  I believe God’s promises to national Israel were unconditional and eternal, he does not.  These are “non-essential” areas of doctrine and there is no need to try and elevate them to the status of essential - more on that in the next section.

 

 

Point 2: Mocks Homeschooling and Armageddon

 

On page 157 of “Vintage Jesus”, Driscoll writes the following:

 

“Unlike today where Christians have largely fled the cities in favor of homeschooling about the rapture amidst large stacks of canned goods readied for a hunkering down at the unleashing of Armageddon, Christianity has historically been an urban religion. A reading of the history book of early Christianity, Acts, reveals that Christianity began as an urban movement led by Paul, whose itinerant church planting ministry was almost exclusively urban as he moved from city to city and bypassed the rural areas.”

 

First, I find it interesting that LT’s starts their “expose” with “…Vintage Jesus, has some noteworthy statements that should be weighed against Scripture.”.  I mention this as since homeschooling is not mentioned in Scripture, I could in no way weigh Driscoll’s comment against it.

 

In all seriousness, how LT’s could possibly gleam what they did from that paragraph is beyond me if they had actually read the book.

 

In this paragraph, Driscoll is writing about “separatist” and “reactionary” Christians, the ones who overemphasize Eschatology by elevating it above “non-essential” status. He is talking about Christians who wish to flee society to escape the fallen culture rather than engaging it for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is talking about Christians who are so fearful of this fallen culture and overtly infatuated with the End Times that they can become withdrawn.

 

To put this into perspective we need to look at what Driscoll says around the quoted paragraph.

 

In the preceding paragraph, he makes the following points:

 

“Sadly, most Christians associate the city with vice, not virtue.”

 

“Sin is more concentrated in the city than in suburban and rural areas.  As a result, the related need for God is more clearly seen in the city.”

 

“By revealing the unveiling of a city upon His return, Jesus intends for Christians to love the city in the meantime.”

 

In the proceeding paragraph Driscoll comments:

 

“God’s people should bring the Gospel to any place where there are people, because God loves all people.  But since there are more people in the city, it also makes sense that bringing the Gospel to cities would be a priority.”

 

“Cities create culture that flows down to the masses.” (My comment: music, movies, media, plays, art exhibits, multi-media, etc…)

 

“For Christians to flee from cities, then to only complain about the kind of culture that is flowing into the culture from the cities is both foolish and hypocritical.  The answer is for Christians to love the city, move to the city, pray for the city, and serve the city until Jesus returns with His city from which all culture will emanate throughout the new earth.”

 

It should be very clear that he is stating rather than retreating from culture we must serve, love and pray for the culture for the cause and glory of Jesus Christ.  For Jesus Himself prayed to the Father, not asking that we be removed from the world, but rather be protected from the enticements of our enemy Satan. 

 

For myself, I believe it to be more profitable to be sowing seeds and working the fields than immersing myself in Eschatology (though I myself am Dispensational, Pre-Tribulational and Pre-Millennial).  When Jesus does come, I’d much rather have Him find me doing His work than merely just waiting.  We ought to be occupied in reaching out to the lost rather than focusing too much time on Last Days events.

 

 

Point 3: The Rapture is Dumb

 

On page 44 of “Vintage Jesus”, Driscoll writes the following:

 

“One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God he actually chose to come into our fallen, sick, twisted, unjust, evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us. Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out.”

 

First, we need to note that Driscoll does not state that the “rapture” is dumb; he clearly states “dumb books about the rapture.”  Since LT’s did not, I felt it necessary to make the proper distinction.

 

Secondly, it is also quite clear that Driscoll is stating that God incarnated Himself into human history as the God-man to bring the Good News of salvation to this fallen world.  Jesus then commanded all those who believe in Him to do the same.  We are not to whine, complain and pine over getting out of this stink hole of a fallen world.  Rather we are to be working the fields for the glory of His kingdom.

 

Thirdly, it could be possible that Driscoll does not believe in a Pre-Tribulational rapture.  He is in the Reformed camp and could very well hold to a Mid-Tribulational or Post-Tribulational view.

 

Lastly, again this is a “non-essential” issue that should not be elevated to “essential” status.  It is something Christians can discuss, debate, and lovingly argue over - but not something we should be dogmatic over.  There are many great theologians and teachers who do not hold a Pre-Tribulational view (Sproul, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and Wesley).  For history on the rapture doctine.

 

 

END OF PART 1